Health
Medical checks urged as Acholi paramount chief cautions against self-treatment
“Go for medical checkup when you are not feeling well so that you know the sickness and get the right medication,” Rwot David Onen Acana IIadvised.
The Paramount chief of Acholi, Rwot David Onen Acana II (seated Centre) with his payira clansmen during his home coming at Lacekocot. (Credit: Jackson Kitara)
By: Jackson Kitara, Journalist @New Vision
ACHOLI - The paramount chief of the Acholi cultural institution, Rwot David Onen Acana II, has urged his subjects to undergo regular medical check-ups to identify illnesses early and receive appropriate treatment.
Acana said people should seek medical checks for conditions such as malaria, diabetes, ulcers and high blood pressure, which he said are increasingly common.
He made the remarks on September 26, 2026, while speaking at his home in Lacekocot, Atanga town council, Pader district, following his return from abroad, where he had gone for treatment for an illness he had been battling for a long time with the help of colleagues.
The paramount chief also cautioned people against self-medication, including buying drugs from drug shops and taking them without first establishing what illness they have.
“Go for medical checkup when you are not feeling well so that you know the sickness and get the right medication,” he advised.
The paramount chief also cautioned people against self-medication, including buying drugs from drug shops and taking them without first establishing what illness they have.
“Go for medical checkup when you are not feeling well so that you know the sickness and get the right medication,” he advised.
Acana noted that many people die from illnesses because they do not seek medical attention early, instead waiting until their conditions become severe and more difficult to treat.
However, James Nabinson Kidega, the Agago district resident district commissioner, blamed some young people for living reckless lifestyles, including drinking alcohol and drug abuse, which he said put their health at risk.
“Most youths nowadays do not think of their health; they take their time taking alcohol, smoking and playing cards without minding their health and doing productive work for their future,” he said.
Kidega said such lifestyles had also contributed to some married men neglecting their responsibilities and spending their nights drinking, smoking and playing cards instead of attending to their conjugal responsibilities at home.
However, James Nabinson Kidega, the Agago district resident district commissioner, blamed some young people for living reckless lifestyles, including drinking alcohol and drug abuse, which he said put their health at risk.
“Most youths nowadays do not think of their health; they take their time taking alcohol, smoking and playing cards without minding their health and doing productive work for their future,” he said.
Kidega said such lifestyles had also contributed to some married men neglecting their responsibilities and spending their nights drinking, smoking and playing cards instead of attending to their conjugal responsibilities at home.